KV Hopper is a Portland-based visual artist and musician whose work bridges experimental sound, design, and collaborative performance. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, he discovered music early through his mother’s collection of 1960s American soul and classic Middle Eastern records. That blend of cultures—and hours spent exploring the family’s Wurlitzer piano—set the foundation for his lifelong relationship with sound.
As a teenager, Hopper became a founding member of At the Drive-In, contributing bass and songwriting to the band’s first two releases and touring extensively throughout the Southwest. He later moved to San Francisco, studying industrial design and music technology at California College of the Arts (CCA), where his projects spanned from experimental music apps to handcrafted electronic instruments built with recycled plastics.
His performance history includes a 2007 collaboration with British artist Anthony McCall at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) for the interactive light installation You and I, Horizontal III. Hopper’s current project, Long Twins, continues his focus on interdisciplinary collaboration—most recently on the 2023 album Everyone in Water, created with lyricist/vocalist Elizabeth LoPiccolo and choreographers Lili Macatangay and Katerina Vitiaz.
Hopper’s latest album, Taped Baskets was created in collaboration with Croatian vocalist, Doris Banovic accompanied by modern dance video performances by London based artist, Bun Kobayashi. Taped Baskets is set to be released on Northern Geographic in 2026.
As a teenager, Hopper became a founding member of At the Drive-In, contributing bass and songwriting to the band’s first two releases and touring extensively throughout the Southwest. He later moved to San Francisco, studying industrial design and music technology at California College of the Arts (CCA), where his projects spanned from experimental music apps to handcrafted electronic instruments built with recycled plastics.
His performance history includes a 2007 collaboration with British artist Anthony McCall at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) for the interactive light installation You and I, Horizontal III. Hopper’s current project, Long Twins, continues his focus on interdisciplinary collaboration—most recently on the 2023 album Everyone in Water, created with lyricist/vocalist Elizabeth LoPiccolo and choreographers Lili Macatangay and Katerina Vitiaz.
Hopper’s latest album, Taped Baskets was created in collaboration with Croatian vocalist, Doris Banovic accompanied by modern dance video performances by London based artist, Bun Kobayashi. Taped Baskets is set to be released on Northern Geographic in 2026.
DISCOGRAPHY
At the Drive-In
• Hell Paso — Bassist, Songwriter (Western Breed Records, 1994)
• Alfaro Vive Carajo — Bassist, Songwriter (Western Breed Records, 1995)
At the Drive-In
• Hell Paso — Bassist, Songwriter (Western Breed Records, 1994)
• Alfaro Vive Carajo — Bassist, Songwriter (Western Breed Records, 1995)
100 Watt Clock
• s/t — Bassist, Songwriter (Buddy System Records, 1997)
• s/t — Bassist, Songwriter (Buddy System Records, 1997)
The Hades Kick
• Ate’ — Bass, Rhodes, Songwriter (Thick as Thieves, 1999)
• Ate’ — Bass, Rhodes, Songwriter (Thick as Thieves, 1999)
Crime in Choir
• s/t — Bass, Rhodes, Songwriter (Omnibus Records, 2001)
• The Hoop — Bass, Rhodes, Songwriter (Frenetic Records, 2004)
• Trumpery Metier — Bass, Rhodes, Songwriter (GSL, 2006)
• Gift Givers — Bass, Rhodes, Songwriter (Kill Shaman Records, 2009)
• s/t — Bass, Rhodes, Songwriter (Omnibus Records, 2001)
• The Hoop — Bass, Rhodes, Songwriter (Frenetic Records, 2004)
• Trumpery Metier — Bass, Rhodes, Songwriter (GSL, 2006)
• Gift Givers — Bass, Rhodes, Songwriter (Kill Shaman Records, 2009)
Awesome Tapes From Africa
• “Makamiba Bola (Palermo Remix)” — Bass (2012)
• “Makamiba Bola (Palermo Remix)” — Bass (2012)
Sparta
• s/t — Bass, Synth (Dine Alone Records, 2022)
• s/t — Bass, Synth (Dine Alone Records, 2022)
Long Twins [aka KV Hopper]
• Everyone in Water — Composer, Producer (Hidden Harmony Recordings, 2023)
• Everyone in Water — Composer, Producer (Hidden Harmony Recordings, 2023)
